Youthopia
by IdolizedFan
Summary: Nick goes missing for one day shift, only to show back up as Finnick's 10 year old nephew and claiming the parentage of two Bunnyburrow residents.
1. Forever Young

YOUTHOPIA  
CH01: Forever Young

Nick goes missing for one day shift, only to show back up as Finnick's 10 year old nephew and claiming the parentage of a Bunnyburrow resident.

 **I do not own Zootopia.**

\- O – O – O – O – O -

"Carrots. Carrots. Fluffity fluff! Carrots. Carrots-"  
Judy laughed as she pushed the play button for her recorded once again, remembering the expression and gesticulation Nick had done when he had his voice recorded.  
"Dumb fox."  
Seeing as she got an extra hour for lunch break having completed her morning tasks early, she decided to try and find the partner in thought.  
Nick had specifically asked the Chief for a night shift for the day, for a reason she still did not know.

Before going down the first floor, she gave a little smile at the assistant mayor's office where she had first ascertained Nick's aptitude for police officer work.  
With the day being less rowdy than usual, she set her eyes on the reception desk where the friendly cheetah was eating another donut.

"Have you guys seen Nick anywhere?" Judy asked Clawhauser, settling herself down on an available chair.  
"Judy! Why don't you ask the tiny fox he's always with?"  
The bunny's ears perked up. "You mean Finnick? Did you see them?"  
"No." The large cheetah chuckled. "It's just an assumption with high likeliness of giving answers."  
"Huh..." Judy frowned as she thought about stuff. "I'm going to find Finnick then."  
The officer hopped off the reception circle and went for the exit. "Hopps, Chief wants to see you by the next hour!" Clawhauser called.  
"Got it!"

Judy realized she had yet to ask Nick for his phone number.  
At least, she already saw him actually using one of those gadgets, looking obsessed with taking pictures of his self.  
She also never tried asking him for one of his photos, just for entertainment purposes... which he probably would not believe.

Alas, she did not have any open leads for finding either of the foxes.  
Even Finnick's van, which was supposed to be conspicuous with all its flashy designs, seemed to be hidden very well from any pair of eyes.  
She also had no means of transportation and walking for a long time would just tire her out, possibly with no good results.  
It was not as if both foxes could be up to no good, except for the occasional shady business Finnick was still doing; and Nick had actually started serving off a better purpose as a police officer.

"'Ey, Judy!" The rabbit turned to the right of the sidewalk and saw a familiar delivery van stopping by.  
"Hey, Gideon!" She glanced at the road for enforcers then spoke in an apologetic tone. "Move a little bit forward. Traffic rules."  
"Oke'. I got it. No prob', Jun-jun."  
As Judy followed the careful parking of the baker, she shook her head. "Don't call me that!"  
"Yer dad calls ya Jude the Dude. Nick got ya Carrots." Gideon laughed in good spirit. "You got them lotsa' nick n' names. While you call me Gid sometimes."  
"Nicknames," Judy corrected in a friendly way. "And Jun-jun sounds so childish."

"That 'side, Nick's not with ya?" asked Gideon as he finally got out of the van.  
"Yeah. And I have no idea what he could be doing at this time of the day," Judy answered. "What about you? Your business is usually packed and urgent."  
"Well, that r'mains true. But I gotta appreciate good comp'ny, eh?" The baker gave her an innocent smile. "How 'bout ya help me buy some supplies then we find Nick together?"  
"Oh, you'd do that for me?" Judy said, while checking the time from her phone. "I... we still got around an hour. I hope it wouldn't force too much of a rush here."  
"Ah, no worries." Gideon shook his head.  
They started walking to a grocery store he gestured to. "Ya cops do yer intense jobs an' all so well. I can un'erstand yer sitch."

Judy soon found their selves on a vegetable corner of the market.  
"Why are we here?" She gave a skeptical look at the packed carrots section. "You're not including vegetables in your dough or something now, hmm?"  
"Oh, yer 'rents want to try something new for them rabbit fam'lies." He merrily raised a fist, much similar with how her dad would have done so. "Gotta aim fer that divers'fication."  
Judy lightened up as she recalled previous stuff. "So that's why they look so excited when they called me last night!"  
"Ye', tha's right." Gideon gently touched the fruits in the corner Judy was not intent to get close to. "What d'ya get fer food?"  
"Uhhm.. coffee?"

Gideon turned to her with a bothered expression. "Are ya really eating yer fill 'ere, Judy?"  
"I'm just not..." the bunny's voice weakened as she glanced at his face turning into genuine worry. She then admitted, "They _dooon't_ really have a fair portion for the smaller preys here. Sometimes I just ask Clawhauser to share whatever he's got."  
"'S that so?" The baker paused for a long hum.  
Judy's feet thumped nervously as she tried to gauge the situation. "You don't have to fret over it, Gid."

"Oh, is'at..."  
"Gid, I don't really want to lie about it." Judy connected her fingers nervously as she spoke more. "Just..."  
"Wait a sec, Jud," Gideon asserted. "Jus' look 'head of us. That Finnick, eh?"

His statement proved true as Judy saw the fennec looking ever so grumpy and seemingly murmuring to himself as he browsed through the stalls of various products with his tiny paws.  
"Finnick _hates_ any kind of market." Judy frowned. "Or rather, any crowded place. He would never go here willingly."  
"'S that so?" Gideon hummed to himself in thought. "Well, 'e def'nitely looks like he wants to buy or _get_ something."  
The bunny smiled lightly, comprehending what he meant. "Finnick wouldn't steal from a market. He says it's too risky as a daily job for a con."

"So ya wanna ask him? Or talk to him?" Gideon suggested. "He's prob'ly gotten contact with Nick for this side of the busyness."  
" _Business._ " Judy chuckled, while taking out her cellphone for a video clip. "I have a different idea in mind."  
"A cop using blackmail material?" The red fox grinned.  
"Hey, don't misunderstand my actions. This might be a part of Finnick's life that..."  
Her voice faded as she saw the grumpy fox's face momentarily turn to an endearing expression. He looked as if he was calling someone over.  
Moments later, a dark gray fox of almost the same height appeared, looking a little displeased.

"Uhh, Judy?" Gideon turned to his friend uncertainly. "Ya seein' what I'm seeing?"  
"Sweet cheese!" The rabbit's hold on her phone wavered as she suppressed her bubbling emotions. "Finnick can't have _that_ kind of secret! We..."  
Even then, she was very amused and happy. "Wait a minute, that's probably why..."  
The baker easily got the hint and grinned. "Nick likely knew at least. I mean, look at that li'l furry."  
The tiny companion of the fennec seemed to be scolding the latter, who had reverted back to his usual grumpiness.  
"Finnick can't handle kids." Judy laughed quietly.

As they moved around and Gideon got some wrapping materials, Judy made sure they were not going to be spotted any time soon.  
The red fox frowned in thought. "I thought ya got less than an hour, Judy."  
He was rather tuned out as the officer moved in closer for a better view. "He looks to be a little less than ten years old already," Judy rambled on with cheer. "So that's what Finnick was doing in his free time. His kid probably doesn't even know his job."

Gideon got a carrot pack and offered it to Judy. "Here, have one besides yer coffee."  
The bunny looked pleased but gave a sorry smile. "This one's a trick. It only has _one_ small carrot inside." She would definitely not forget her discovery about it, and then subtly got herself a different package. "I'll take this one instead."

"Oh, so 'bout the time..." Gideon hinted, as he saw Judy pocketing her phone.  
The rabbit blinked upon grasping the situation. "I nearly forgot! I..."  
The red fox chuckled, offering his friend small cash money. "There's not much of a line. Ya can go ahead."  
Judy gave one quick look over the two smaller foxes and hopped to the counter. "Thanks, Gideon. I owe you one!"  
"Oh, no need!"

While Judy ran for the cashier lane, Gideon grudgingly wished he could have seen her in a meter maid outfit from her early days as a cop.  
He looked at the basic supplies he got and grunted as he thought about getting to work as soon as he got back to Bunnyburrow.  
However, his attention was caught when he realized that Finnick's vulpine companion had set his eyes on him. Gideon grimaced in thought.  
There was no way the child would recognize him. Maybe his delivery van – its design was meant to attract the public eye – but definitely not him.

The younger fox seemed to be glancing at his little paws then back at his eyes every now and then.  
While it was not really unsettling, Gideon had his curiosity aroused.  
 _'Maybe I'm the biggest fox he's seen yet,'_ he thought lightly as he decided it was time for him to go.  
But the child had conflicting plans for him as he approached with an unnaturally upbeat demeanor.  
Gideon had no idea how to react, and Finnick seemed to be lost somewhere in the growing crowd of animals, so he just waited for the fox.

When they were finally within the short distance of an arm stretch, the dark gray fox looked up at his face then checked his paws again.  
Gideon hummed in interest as he noticed that the cub's paws had a few streaks of red hue. He looked around to check if Judy was still in the vicinity, and realized he only had himself to try and catch on with the situation.

"So what's yer problem, eh?" Gideon asked, as the fox did not seem inclined to speak first. "Does Finnick need help with stuff to buy?"  
"I don't know any Finnick, but I am with someone close to that name. My uncle's name is Nick!" The fox cub grinned as if very pleased with the coincidence.  
The baker frowned. "Isn't Finnick yer dad or something? Ya can't be Nick's cub with that color of fur n' Judy..." His brows contracted as he tried to connect the lines. "Nick can't be an uncle yet."  
"My name is Nicholas!" The young cub offered a tiny paw. "I have reason to believe that you're my Dad!"

Gideon dropped his shopping basket in astonishment.  
A few pair of eyes glanced over at his location, as he quickly held it up.  
"Oh my dough..." The red fox started stuttering as he addressed the cub. "Listen here. Ya can't be... I'm still sing-"  
Nicholas proudly raised his left paw to highlight the hidden red color. "We have a similar appearance!"  
As more words rolled out of the younger fox's mouth, Gideon realized that the fur throughout his body was not actually of dark gray color.  
It was only powdered with a material of that hue. His fur color was in fact red.  
But it still did not answer the question why he was being made a father by the cub.

"Uhh... Nich'las, was it?" Gideon said, trying to sound more collected.  
He subconsciously thought about how similar the name was with Judy's partner. "I'm not yer Dad or anything. Ya should call Finni... _Nick_ , your uncle and have him settle things."  
The young fox immediately became downcast as he heard the statement. "But... Uncle said I would grow up to be a red fox as tall as my Dad! And by stuff he told me, he's supposed to look like you!"  
"Hold ye self now." Gideon absent-mindedly rummaged through his shopping basket while humming incomprehensible words. "There must be a mistake..."  
Just as the young fox seemed ready to rant, a familiar harsh voice was heard across the area.  
"Nicholas! Where'd that runt run off to?!"

Gideon sighed, realizing he had no way to run from the situation.  
He called the fennec over, whose irritated expression instantly became horrified as soon as recognition had occurred.  
"You! You're that pie guy!" Finnick stated, before scowling at the cub. "Just because you're smaller than me _doesn't_ mean you can hide from me!"  
"The name's Gideon," the baker uttered.  
"Uncle Nick!" Nicholas happily embraced the fennec with an expectant look. "Did you find any blueberries?"  
Finnick rolled his eyes. "You can't eat them while I still haven't _paid_ for them." He held the emphasis as if he was disgusted by the prospect of the word.

Gideon only tried to ascertain the scene passively as he refused the numerous questions rising in his mind. He would rather have the grumpy fox explain it the way he wanted to, as he had not really interacted with him much if not for Judy.  
Finnick gave him a sour look. "When the cub's around, _my_ name is Nick. His name is Nicholas. My name is Nick. Don't tell _anybody_ about this and I won't bite your face off!"  
The statement was spoken as if out of a memorized monologue that Gideon noticed more of a tired state. "Yer not really his uncle, eh?"

Finnick grunted sullenly as he dropped the blueberry pack he was carrying on Gideon's basket. "I'll pay you later." He glanced at the younger fox, who seemed to have taken his interest on a magazine stand.  
"And yes, you got that right."  
"So who exactly is he?" Gideon decided to ask the question that had been hanging over the biggest.  
"He's that fox I knew since the day he wore that Junior Scout uniform or something all right."  
"Junior Ranger Scouts?" Gideon frowned as he tried to remember where he heard it from. "I think Judy told me something 'bout it."  
"He's _Nick_ ," Finnick summarized, barely holding his irritation. As if already expecting more questions, he quickly added, "Must be another underground science stuff he meddled with for extra pay. Now, he's _small_ again and apparently has no memories past his current age. Whatever hell of a coincidence decided to bring that fox in _that_ state to me."

As much as it sounded very hard to believe, Gideon did not see Finnick to be an outright type of a liar. His rudeness actually made him look more honest.  
"So yer stuck with 'im," Gideon said slowly, trying not to sound too probing. "Since when? Judy's kinda worried."  
Finnick glared at him upon the mention of the name. " _Never_ tell the bunny cop about Nick's current state!" He spoke distastefully as though it should have been obvious. "The last interaction in his phone was two days ago. Not even a picture of his darn face after that."  
"N' ya told 'im his name is Nicholas Wilde?"  
"The cub already knows. But I had to make silly jokes for him. So I shortened my name to take his." Finnick grumbled some curse words.  
He rolled his eyes again which only made him look more tired. "All this talk is making me weary. Nicholas!"

As the younger fox neared them, the fennec gestured for Gideon to get in a nearby shopping cart lane.  
"How does being Nick's dad sound?"

\- O – O – O – O – O -

 _Origin of Idea: A Regular Show episode with lots of turtles and a cult called Youth Topia_


	2. Embarrassment

YOUTHOPIA  
CH02: Embarrassment

Nick goes missing for one day shift, only to show back up as Finnick's 10 year old nephew and claiming the parentage of a Bunnyburrow resident. Meanwhile, is Judy catching on with the case?

 **I do not own Zootopia.**

\- O – O – O – O – O -

Judy was disappointed to find Nick nowhere inside the ZPD.  
Normally, he would be the one who'd crack a surprise or eagerly show up to tease her.  
It just felt awkward without the sly fox.

"Hey, Judy," Clawhauser whispered. "I got something in my head!"  
The bunny spared him a glance and chuckled. "Yeah. Donut around your right cheek."  
"I- I don't mean that!" The cheetah discreetly checked for the mentioned cheek and got a bite off the collected donut. "It's where Nick may be."  
Judy just couldn't stay negative with such a friendly aura like Clawhauser's.  
She gave him a casual go. "Playing detectives, are we?"

"He pulled a day off and even managed to convince the Chief," Clawhauser began with a short laugh. "So it must be a matter that the Chief is keen with, or at least something not dangerous."  
"Nick may complain about the job." Judy rolled her eyes. "But he wouldn't want to miss a day's activity and lose part of his pay."  
"Exactly!" Clawhauser stated as he quickly finished the remains of his donut. "But what does he need the money for?"  
The bunny frowned. "Basic necessities? I mean, he doesn't have any affiliations or-"  
" _That you know of_ ," the receptionist interrupted with a growing excitable attitude. "What if he's in a relationship _we_ don't know of?"

"What?" Judy muttered blankly then gave an amused smile. "That's where you're getting into? Come on, this is Nick we're talking about."  
Clawhauser countered with a smile of greater amusement. "Oh, yes. This is indeed Nick."  
"Clawhauser, stop teasing me!" She gently pushed the cheetah with a low laugh. "I hope you're not keeping any secrets."  
"No, I would never!" The cheetah smirked. "Besides, what's evident is definitely not qualified as a _secret._ "  
"What are you talking about now?" Judy asked, confused yet entertained enough.

Just then, a nearby phone rang and Clawhauser immediately answered it. "Hello, this is the ZPD. What can I- we do for you?"  
Judy nudged him lightly and gave a thankful farewell.  
The cheetah acknowledged her with a nod and a suspicious glint in his eyes.  
She decided not to distract him.

The bunny sighed as she hopped off the reception desk.  
"Nick's not here. I'm muttering to myself. Great."  
She saw Officer Delgato enter with an apprehended polar bear, who seemed tense but rather quiet.  
Usually, she would approach for a friendly conversation but even the simple task currently felt dreary for the bunny. There also seemed to be a few media personnel inside the building but she decided to stay out of the coverage.

Judy got out of the building, with the sole intention of getting back to her apartment and hugging her comfy bunny dolls.  
What she did not expect to see outside the ZPD was one flashy van parked in a corner of the area, which she instantly recognized as Finnick's.  
"Uh, why is Finnick here?" Judy muttered to herself as she approached the vehicles. "Of all places..."  
She was facing the back of the van as she made her advance, when its rear door opened to let out a casually talking Gideon. "Ya wait for yer uncle here. I'll see-"  
"Gideon?"

Judy did not have time to check inside the van as the door was closed, which definitely seemed forcefully rushed.  
"J- Judy!" The red fox turned around with an uneasy expression. "I'm using Finnick's van... for the day?"  
"It's almost _night_ ," she pointed out dubiously. "So what _are_ you doing with Finnick's van?"  
A muffled bump was heard from inside the van, to which Judy frowned upon. "What was that?"

"Finnick's just finishing up some _stuff_ ," Gideon supplied nervously.  
"You guys can't seriously be hiding Nick, hmm?" Judy loomed over the tinted window of the van door and Gideon tried desperately to hold her still. "Ya- ya gotta _hide_ from Finnick. Now's not a good time!"  
Judy was rather amused by the unusual display of personality. "What's gotten into you?"  
"A guy and _a guy_ can have their privacy, Jud!"

Judy stopped, just as she was about to move the door open to the side. "I... I had no idea you 'two' were..." the bunny paused, clearly flustered. "Uh huh..."  
"Judy, whatever yer thinking... It's probl'y false!"  
What sounded like a collision was heard inside the van. Judy showed less inclination to speak but still asked, "Then what is it? If it's not talking about your girlfriends..."  
"What?"  
"What?"  
"D- def'nitely the wrong idea," Gideon mumbled.

There were a few additional weaker bumps heard that finally gave Judy enough resolve to act upon it.  
"I'm going to open the door," she said abruptly just as she did the act.  
It was one of the few times she actually got to see what was inside the vehicle. It was untidy as usual.  
"Finnick?"

"Yer uncle's not here! Get out!" a muffled voice of the fennec resonated from the driver's seat.  
Judy was able to make out a small shadow, but the fox did not seem willing to show himself.  
"Yer uncle's-" The voice stopped, only to be followed by an uncharacteristic giggle.  
Judy bobbed her head within the van, with her feet ready to hop inside. "Is that-"  
Gideon pulled her outside gently, including the door closed. "Ah, he's pract'cing some _lines_! He wouldn't want the distraction for... for the-"  
The rabbit officer frowned in disbelief. "The elephant?"  
"Ye-yeah! Those adorable suits n' cons," Gideon stuttered.

Judy initially seemed about to reprimand him, but she only responded with a delighted look.  
" _You_? You're also helping Finnick with his job? What's up with all you foxes? First, Nick..." She laughed lightly and rambled on. "Kinda like the closeness of the bunny population. In a way. You guys should tell me more about this."  
Gideon sighed in relief. "Yeah. Jus' some stuff we do in our free time, you know?"  
Still, he smiled nervously.

"Hmm. Well, now that things here are settled..." Judy clapped her hands as she gave one regretful look at the van. "Do you guys still have something to do? And why are you two in ZPD? Finnick wouldn't normally dare show his van near the police."  
" _Normally_ ," Gideon repeated uncertainly, getting a little fazed with the talkative energy of the bunny. "I mean, even he suggested Nick might just be hidin' from us. The ZPD's a large buildin' n' all."

His words appeared to be agreeable as Judy only shrugged casually. "I'll leave you two to it. My neighbors want to play some cards. If you see Nick, tell the dumb fox to at least text me!"  
"Yer playing cards now?" Gideon asked in genuine surprise.  
"Silly, it's just an excuse!"  
"Oh..." The officer looked back once then hopped off merrily. "Sure thing, Judy..."  
It was starting to feel unfair to repeatedly see the bunny run off with such gusto while he was stuck with an awkward situation, though it was definitely not her fault.

When he was sure there were no signs of Judy turning back, Gideon came inside the van and closed the door behind him. "Nich'las?"  
The convenient set-up of the interior reminded him of one of the trailers back at Bunnyburrow which can be settled as food stands, only it did not have much to show or even chairs, excluding the front seats.  
The fennec definitely lived inside the vehicle, with all the stubs of cigarettes he thoughtfully enough moved to the farther corners.

"Dad, yer back!" The young fox, whose gray fur was about to turn back to its full red, exclaimed in joy. "Was that Mom in there?"  
Gideon raised an eyebrow at the barely slanted accent. "Judy's gon' be confused if you start speakin' in my tongue, Nich'. And def'nitely she's not yer Mom."  
"Oh! But she knows ye, right?"  
"Yeah. Just a passing acquaintance." Gideon rubbed his paws on his shirt and sighed tiredly. "Finnick says ya remember stuff from yer past, yet ya see me as yer dad."  
"What did you say?"  
"Oh, nothing." He leaned down and glanced at the carrot recorder the younger fox was holding. "Good job catchin' on with the sitch. Yer really clever. Judy's gon' be disappointed we replaced the previous message though."

"Nick, I like it when you smirch!"  
"Huh?"  
The small fox laughed childishly as he raised his device. "That was what Carrots was saying!"  
Gideon grunted in minor surprise. "You're calling the recorder Carrots?"  
"Doesn't it fit so well?"  
The larger red fox chuckled. "Oh, yes. It does. But did you mean smirk rather than smirch? 'Cause that's what Nick does."  
"What's a smirk?" the cub asked innocently.  
Gideon tried for an impression of what he could remember off the original Nick.  
With Nicholas laughing pleasantly, he knew it was a terrible one but hopefully at least he managed to get the point across.

"So Judy likes it when yer uncle does those smiles, eh?"  
At the fox cub's growing puzzlement, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, Carrots! That's what she said, right?"  
The young fox lightened up. "Yeah! And I can also copy her!"  
"Well, you're def'nitely getting close with yer Carrots," Gideon teased with a playful pat, followed by a few tickles.  
Nicholas did not fight back to an extent, keeping much to his delight. "Stop it, Dad!"  
"Oh, no. I won't! You silly-"

The door suddenly creaked open to admit Finnick, who looked as cantankerous as ever.  
"Uncle, yer back!" The fennec spared him a barely friendly grunt and a glance around the area.  
He sighed tiredly. "How about you give me that hello toot toot, kid?"  
"Toot toot?" Nicholas wondered, cluelessness evident in his face.  
"I'll lend you the elephant suit tomorrow." Finnick rolled his eyes.  
"So what happened?" Gideon asked nervously as he kindly gestured for Nicholas to take the front seat.  
"That bunny was in the darn ZPD when I got to the Chief!"

The statement put the red fox on alert. "Did she notice ya there? I wouldn't want her doubting any of us now."  
"I'm _small_ enough to evade anyone's sight," Finnick asserted with a hint of aggravation. "But if she starts asking around the ZPD, she'd definitely find out we've been not just around, but _inside_."  
"And how did it go with the Chief...?" Gideon prodded.  
"Heh. Caught him in a bad situation, was jamming to that new Gizelle music video."  
" _Gazelle,_ " Gideon absently rectified.  
" _So,_ " Finnick continued, as if uninterrupted. "He pretty much had to be quick with it and just gave lots of nods. Police these days."

With nothing more to actually talk about, the two foxes shared their well-earned sighs of relief and dropped themselves against the randomly spread sheets inside the vehicle.  
"Nich'las, you can come back 'ere," Gideon called. "I never thought 'bout takin' care of a li'l furry."  
"Oh?" Finnick gave a weak scoff. "Nick was a real deal when he was young." He continued talking as if they did not have the returning companionship of little Nicholas. "That clueless innocence is what you'll never expect to see in what he is supposed to be today."  
"That so?" Gideon glanced around the small area. "Ya got some bev'rages?"

The baker saw genuine interest spark in the fennec's eyes.  
"Oh, didn't expect you to be a drinker," Finnick grunted. "Silly."  
Gideon laughed quietly. "Jus' something for poor Nich'. Yanno how a fox's thirst goes."  
The older fox grumbled in disappointment. "And here I thought I got better company. You better not get used to calling him _Nich_ or we'll be confusing names here."  
He walked to the front seats and checked a few compartments.  
"Are you sure we shouldn't be heading out the _ZPD_ parking lot soon?" Gideon asked.

" _We?_ " Finnick seemed to be rummaging through various stuff as he murmured other words to himself. "We can stay here until 9 or something. That's when the sloths, if any, get out the building. They won't ask until we show our faces."  
"How do you know all this stuff?" He gave an uneasy look over Nicholas, with whom he was playing a game of rock, paper, and scissors.  
"When you do _secret stuff_ ," said Finnick, with at least a little consideration to hold some things confidential from their youngest companion. "You have to keep an eye out for the authorities. You do that and you'll be able to live for the day _and_ night."  
"Oh, by the way..." Gideon gave the currently unattended recorder a curious eye. "We need a new message for Carrots."  
"What's this about the bunny?"  
"Judy came by a while ago... and we pretty much had to use every means possible for an excuse," the red fox said slowly and confidently enough so as not to worry the van owner.  
With the fennec seeming nowhere near done with his search, Gideon nimbly tried to entertain both comrades.

"Carrots is the name Nich'las gave for the recorder."  
Meanwhile, he felt uneasy getting ahead of the cub by one point in their game. Fortunately, the younger companion was still entertained by such a simple game.  
"The bunny got a listen out of it?"  
"Yeah. She knows we've been around the area. Nich'las here's the one who saved our faces," Gideon said proudly, which the mentioned did not seem to notice. "'Least he's def'nitely a quick thinker."  
Finnick gave a minor grunt of acknowledgment. "Ah, we'll do it tomorrow."

"So, Nich'las will certainly be safe here, right?" Gideon asked cautiously.  
"Eh, I can see no offense in there." The fennec threw some coins behind, which the larger red fox caught deftly. "Anyway, you said the young lad's thirsty. The ZPD has a vending machine by the left corner."  
"What can I get with these?" Gideon hummed thoughtfully, trying to gauge the price range of a machine he had never tried.  
"Don't give him the root beer." Finnick rolled his eyes, as he showed back up with a cigarette held in a paw. "That's enough to buy some orange juice for you two."  
"Are ya gonna light a cig here?" Gideon queried in concern for their younger companion.  
"That's why I'm having you guys leave for the vending machine." Finnick moved past them to check the rear parts of the van interior. "Don't worry. I'll leave the door open. I just need some time alone."  
Gideon grinned encouragingly at Nicholas, who beat him by two points.  
"Can I get the chocolate tetra pack instead?" the cub asked eagerly.  
Finnick regarded him casually. "Yeah. Almost the same price. Consider it a free time from this boring company of mine."  
Gideon only smiled. "Whatever ya say, boss."  
He then turned to Nicholas. "Let's get that choc'late ya want."

Gideon was the first to get out the van, instinctively watching the surrounding area.  
Nicholas was too excited to ask him about it. It was times like that moment when the baker was thankful he was not really of social import, rather than being a baker delivering his own products.  
He knew enough faces and names inside the ZPD from Judy's stories to anticipate whether he could be recognized by someone, while Nicholas still had lots of gray powder over his head for his disguise.  
He realized he still had not asked Finnick about what exactly the substance was, hopefully nothing drastic and harmful.

Even from quite a distance, he could already see that the vending machine still had its products to offer.  
His eyes naturally set their sights upon the blueberry yoghurt cups, and it made him wonder why the cub was eager for chocolate instead.  
"I basically told Judy it was not a secret anymore and all that, don't you think?"  
Gideon immediately assumed the voice was from a cheetah named Benjamin, or Clawhauser as he was called inside the department, who Judy emphasized was the most cheerful and talkative animal over the group.  
While Nicholas ran off for the vending machine as if enthusiastic to check out other options, the taller red fox noted the group of officers getting out the building.

Sure enough, there was the cheery cheetah eating his fill from a box of doughnuts, among a group of rhinoceros and lions. He did not really take officers to be of a gossipy kind, but the Clawhauser definitely was open to that kind of information.  
As far as he knew, only Chief and Clawhauser knew about Judy's "red fox friend" back in Bunnyburrow.  
It could put him in a little risk.

"Dad, I want the blueberry instead!" His attention reverted back to Nicholas, who was oblivious to the atmosphere and seemed rather enchanted by the mentioned product with widened eyes.  
"Oh, are ye sure? I know a lot of an'mals who hates them yoghurts." He chuckled as he stepped behind the cub and mentally calculated possible combination of drink prices. "Well, ya'll definitely pick the blueberry. Then I'll be takin' this."  
"What's that?" Little Nicholas asked, looking at the finger he placed over the machine's glass.  
"It's root beer," Gideon supplied as he inserted the coins and dialed the specific numbers. "Yer too young for this. But I'm thinkin' of offerin' it to yer uncle."  
"How does a root beer taste?"  
"I'd thought ya'd already know the taste by yer current age," Gideon admitted. "But I'd rather not risk ya getting dizzy. And I don't really know how to explain it."  
Before the fox cub got to form any expressive reaction, Gideon gave him the yoghurt cup. "Here ya go, champ."

Just as he was starting to tease Nicholas about his growing affection for Carrots, Clawhauser's voice popped up beside them.  
"Oh em goodness, this one looks like a baby Nick!"  
Five police officers approached them, with Nicholas looking at them quizzically.  
"You must be Clawhauser," Gideon uttered a little nervously, deciding to focus on the figure he knew the most about. "This my son here's Nich'las."  
The cheetah was obviously pleased as he giddily jumped in his position, whispering to his companions. "Even their names are similar!"  
"Don't mind him. He's one big fan of a _pairing_ in here," one lion said cheerfully. "You're one of the newer enterprise owners roaming around Bunnyburrow, right?"  
"The name's Gideon. I'm actually Judy's _childhood acquaintance_."  
He offered his empty hand for a shake, which was amicably taken by four officers. The prospect of another fox associate seemed to enliven them.  
At least, it helped steady his nerves a little. "So what are you guys doing here?"

Clawhauser gestured to the polar bear who was attending to the vending machine.  
"Officer Grizzoli gets his soda here every night. He might look scary but he's even kid-friendly!"  
"My kid here jus' got his fav'rite drink." He patted the fox cub on the head gently. "I'm told it's pretty sim'lar with Nick's."  
The cheetah seemed indecisive whether to talk to the youngling or to rant to his friends. A few seconds later, he settled for the latter. "Do you think that's what their son would look like?"  
The officers just laughed pleasantly. Gideon had a reason to be fairly sure he knew what they implied.

"Officer, you got a donut on yer left cheek," Nicholas spoke, pointing a little finger.  
"Oh my gosh, he spoke!" Clawhauser excitedly moved his paws over his face.  
"Hey, how'd we miss that thing?" another officer teased.  
"You guys look like little Foxies," the cheetah continued as he ate his newly acquired donut, as if there had not been any distraction.  
Gideon hummed uneasily. "We're a bunch of foxes, all right."  
"He means this internet parody he's been showing everyone," the lion, who had introduced himself as Delgato, supplied. "It's called Fried Knights of Fred."  
Grizzoli almost spilled his newly gotten drink as he tried to suppress his laughter. "Look, the guy's obviously busy, Clawhauser. Give him a rest."  
"And I wouldn't want the kid to stay out at night for so long," Gideon went along politely.

"We're just really lucky we got to meet a baby Nick," Clawhauser chattered, giving the cub an affectionate look. "Oooh, Judy will definitely love to see you!"  
Gideon laughed lowly, trying not to make them push on Judy's matter. "Thanks for the small comp'ny. We appreciate it." He turned to Nicholas with a soft expression. "Why don't you say goodbye to them, too?"  
The cub hurriedly sipped on his blueberry cup, then raised a delighted paw. "Goodbye officers!"  
"Aaaawww!" Even the larger officers felt bubbly just by hearing the farewell.  
Gideon chuckled, prodding him gently. "Come on. Yer uncle will be wonderin' 'bout us soon."

The larger red fox only turned his head back once to give a reassuring smile, but decided not to offer more interactions.  
As soon as they got to Finnick's van, he basically had himself fall to the scattered barely comfortable objects inside.  
Finnick, who cleaned himself off any signs of smoking, addressed them blankly. "You met the tough one, eh? That cheetah gossips way too much."  
Gideon perked up at his recognition, silently offering the root beer he reserved. "So ya also know the actual guys?"  
"Meh, I just hang out sometimes with…" He casually bobbed his head to the cub. "And Judy. They tend to talk a lot when the alc... gets to them."

Gideon smiled appreciatively. "But did they ever get drunk?"  
"Come on." Finnick chuckled roughly. "You just want to ask if _something_ happened between them. We all know the deal with those two."  
Both elder foxes looked at the cub, who surprisingly proceeded to sleep peacefully in the front seat.  
"He'll grow up to be a night cit'zen," the red fox cracked as a joke. "So nothin' really happened?"

"Well..." Finnick chugged down his beverage pleasingly. "You'd be delighted to know that the bunny has a higher tolerance for alcohol. Nick had to spend a night once in Judy's room. They didn't really act different the next day. The bunny's innocent."  
"Is she?" Gideon blinked, and then realized he was the one who voiced it out.  
Finnick hummed in interest. "You're actually not a bad companion. But you're not spending the night here, eh?"  
"P- please... Yer one to talk." The red fox chuckled. "I'm jus' yer part time father doin' his duties. Call yerself the night shift dude."  
"I'm still waiting to find myself waking up and none of this ever happe-"

The two foxes jumped in surprise as they suddenly heard loud knocks on the side door of the van.  
Gideon grimaced in worry. "Uh oh..."  
Finnick cleared his throat and faced the closed door. "Who is it?!"  
"Finnick, is that you? Is this a bad time?" It was the voice of Judy.  
"If it's about Ni-"  
"It _is_ about Nick! I-" Her voice seemed to crack as she rolled over her words. "I have reason to believe he's in danger."  
"Now hold on a second!" Finnick turned to the baker with a look of disbelief. "What is she talking about?"  
"I- I have no idea. Nick's with us..."  
But as dread began to form in their minds, he slowly added a hanging thought.

"Or is he?"

\- O – O – O – O – O -

We'll take it easy with the plot developments for the next few chapters. We definitely need more fluff.


	3. Fluff

YOUTHOPIA  
CH03: Fluff

Nick goes missing for one day shift, only to show back up as Finnick's 10 year old nephew and claiming the parentage of two Bunnyburrow residents. Meanwhile, is Nicholas catching on with the case?

 **I do not own Zootopia.**

\- O – O – O – O – O -

Finnick carefully opened the van door sideways and tried to give a concerned eye at the bunny cop over his hanging skepticism. "The van's not exactly a place to discuss stuff like this."  
"Anywhere's fine," Judy answered nervously then looked at the fennec hesitantly. "Is Gideon still in there?"  
The small fox looked ready to sigh in exasperation but gave in with a brief reply, "Yeah."  
"So you two really haven't seen him yet?" Her tone contrasted the initial skepticism Finnick had for the sudden situation. Plus, she would not act as a liar outside the occasional hustling. This did not seem to be one of those moments.

"The place smells of cig and root beer," Gideon spoke apologetically from the inside, sounding a little farther than just a door's distance away.  
"Gideon, what are you doing?" Judy asked.  
"We don't really have much option, do we? Ya'll have to stick with our company." He grunted as if he was shifting some furniture.  
Finnick gave a short glance inside, before fully opening the door. "Sorry if that was rude."  
"No need to get touchy, Finnick," Judy teased, with a small smile. "It's out of your character."  
"I've been hearing that a lot recently."

As soon as Judy hopped inside, Finnick closed the door with a huff.  
"Sorry the place is untidy," Gideon spoke as if he was the owner.  
Finnick did not seem to mind, not really inclined to speak much.  
The bunny was still in her police uniform, where she brought out a red handkerchief from. "I found this directly before my room door. There's nothing on it but..."  
"The jerk's pulling a prank or something," Finnick readily suggested. "Why would he scare _you_ like that?"  
Gideon chuckled uneasily. "Have ya checked with yer neighbors? He couldn't have just left it without anyone noticing."  
"Or he's been apprehended by someone," Judy stated grimly. "There were a few scratch marks on the lower part of my door as if he wanted to escape or give a sign."

"We can't be havin' 'nother savage case," Gideon worried over.  
Finnick frowned in agreement. "And definitely not Nick. Chap fails at times but he's not that clumsy."  
"So that's why I leaned in the possibility of a capture," Judy firmly clarified. "I don't really want to alert the landlord without having a concrete impression about the case. My neighbors don't have any idea when I asked them while we played cards."  
The red fox narrowed his eyebrows. "I thought that was jus' an excuse."  
"I didn't want to do it," the rabbit admitted. "But Bucky and Pronk aren't really bad company, just a little too rowdy."

Finnick kept glancing over at Gideon, who had nothing good to contribute.  
Judy seemed to notice the exclusive act and told them, "Something tells me that's either an idea or a secret you guys are keeping from me, maybe for good reason but..."  
The fennec rolled his eyes, denying the responsibility. "I'm not gonna be the one deciding that."  
Gideon stuttered for a while, and then found some resolve from a chuckle. "Gimme the recorder."  
The smaller fox only grunted, keeping his confusion of the decisions to himself, as he tried to find the recorder somewhere in the front.

"Some of yer police comrades saw us a while back," Gideon initiated for a lighter conversation. "It was just a short vending machine moment though. Would you want some drinks?"  
Judy smiled in gratitude. "Maybe later. I'm guessing it's probably Grizzoli and his soda."  
"Yeah. And that Fried Knights something."  
The bunny laughed pleasantly. "Fried Knights of Fred! It's got the ZPD buzzing. You're not much of an Internet animal, right?"  
The red fox shrugged.  
"I think I have the vid somewhere in my cellphone."

As Judy tapped through the buttons of her gadget, Gideon glanced over Finnick's progress of his search.  
He was given an annoyed look and numerous gestures, which he interpreted as the recorder probably being within one of the little cub's pockets.  
He mouthed a warning of "Don't wake him up yet." then left him to his own as Judy nudged him with a flashing phone.  
"It's only a minute long _but_ it's got the most views for most of the days of this week," the bunny chattered in cheer. "Imagine it's second to the popularity of Gazelle's new music video in Ewetube last Tuesday!"

The video shortly started after Judy tapped the play button, revealing two almost wrecked animatronics in a cartoonish style, in a room of similar destruction.  
"That one is Foxie, as the name implies. The one beside him is Fred, the king."  
The video was a little blurred, with Gideon thinking it rather made the video creepy. "I think I haven't asked you what to expect out of it."  
Judy giggled a little unexpectedly. "It's better to watch it with _no_ idea."  
"All right." It was just then that Gideon realized Fred was indeed a king, having initially not recognized what was over his head was a broken crown and the outfit containing sparkling objects.  
He was not sure why he was so inquisitive about that kind of detail, and he couldn't tell much about Foxie.

Fred's mouth opened to speak, but only monotonous beeps came out supported by subtitles.  
"Bring in the peasants!"  
Foxie turned to his king with an open and toothy mouth. "Are you sure, Your Majest-t-ty?"  
"What the-?!" Gideon jumped in surprise as the fox animatronic suddenly titled its head in a jittering manner, as if malfunctioning.  
Judy only pursed her lips tighter in an unreadable expression.  
"Let the peasants enter!" King Fred raised a mechanical hand.

The camera zoomed in on the large throne room doors, and a childish music box started playing in a relatively empty atmosphere. "If you're happy and you know it, clap your ha-a-a-aaaands!"  
Gideon gave a small gasp. There was not any visible animation, but no way did he expect the sound to also be _faulty_. "Uhh-"  
"If you're ugly and you know it-" The doors suddenly opened to admit a screaming rabid Foxie, who suddenly jumped at the screen as fast as Gideon jumped in his position.  
His shock left him speechless and a share of pain for his heart.

Judy started laughing, tagging him playfully. "Oh, come on! You have the weakest reaction among the other animals I have showed the video to."  
Gideon tried offering a positive reaction, but ended up stammering laughter. "I- I- I-" He gasped for a few sharp breaths. "I'm totally not fine!"  
"That's the spirit!"  
In reality, he was actually grateful he momentarily lost his ability to even scream, as he probably could have woken up the sleeping fox cub.  
He chuckled more, trying to ease his nerves. "Th- that's a good one. Ya'll get me payback soon."  
"I wonder if Finnick already-"

"That stuff's more understandable than whatever that Gizelle puts out." Finnick appeared, dropping a carrot-shaped recorder over the baker's lap.  
"It's Gazelle," the other two simultaneously corrected.  
The fennec rolled his eyes. "Here I thought you two were doing some indecent things."  
"Well, internet communities are making theories out of nowhere about it!" chattered Judy. "Like Fred is actually a real old-time restaurant owner who claims _offspring_ just as he eats peasants in this video. I mean, all I see is a parody."  
"Parody or not," Finnick grunted. "Those are some terrible movements."  
"Animation," Judy amended eagerly, and then lowered her voice for a more appropriate mood. "So what do you guys have there? All I know is that it went famous in the market after I used it for the Night Howler case. Nifty and all."

Gideon smiled in acknowledgment, before pushing the play button.  
The recorder proceeded to say, "Yer uncle's not here! Get out!"  
"I'm sure ya recognize the message, eh?" the red fox said.  
"Of course. You used-" Judy frowned in realization. "So that wasn't Finnick a while ago?"  
"Believe it or not, I was talking to the Chief about Nick's absence," Finnick informed. "Though I didn't get anything. Well, he knew at least why Nick took a day off."  
"The longer he stays out of sight, the less sensible his reasons would be," the officer said.  
"Well, the fact is..." Gideon began slowly. "We don't know what kind of lead we got here." He turned to his fellow fox. "Is he awake?"  
Judy blinked in confusion. "Hmm? Who?"  
"Come out here, kiddo," Finnick called after a sigh.  
"The one whom we initially thought was Finnick's son," Gideon introduced. "He calls himself Nicholas."

Finnick gave a tired look over his companion and began reciting readily prepared lines. "Nicholas is the cub's name. I'm the standing uncle, nicknamed _Nick_ and Gideon's the father... for now."  
Judy shook her head. "Wait, this is a bit too fast."  
"Dad, you got my Carrots!" Nicholas jumped over his lap to get the orange recorder.  
The bunny cop frowned. "Carrots?"  
The baker playfully gestured at the small gadget for Judy to notice. "He calls the thing Carrots."  
He turned back to the cub with a sincere look. "Sorry, we had to use it for the visitor. Her name is Judy Hopps and-"  
"She's your _mother_ ," Finnick interrupted with a skewed smirk.  
"What?"  
"What?"  
"Eh?" The fox cub froze at first, as if in similar disbelief, but brightened up as he absorbed the words. "Mum!"

Judy was quickly given a soft hug, to which she could not do much about but return with similar affection. As the cub was immersed with the act, Judy frowned at the fennec who held his smile.  
"I can't take care of the fox in _this_ place." He nonchalantly gestured at the surroundings. "And questioning's not my type. Maybe you'll get more answers out of him."  
"That's-" Judy paused, watching her use of words around the youngest animal. It was also the first time she noticed the gray powder around his body. "But I'm a cop! I can't..."  
"And I got my business, too," Gideon added uncertainly.  
"We _all_ definitely have our jobs." Finnick scowled. "But I'm definitely not one for parenting."  
"Wh- what happened to yer eagerness?" the red fox asked.  
"I found a way out of this. I'll be taking it," the fennec confessed. "Besides, the bunny can volunteer for parking duty again and adjust her time for Nicholas."

"Look," Judy laid out cautiously. "I can do just that for the well-being of..." She paused as she realized the fox cub looking at her fondly from their embrace. Was her fur that naturally soft?  
" _My son_ , uhh, no matter how political or social aspects see it. But you can't just bail out of this. He may be the key to finding out stuff about Nick! Isn't he your comrade?"  
Finnick's scowl seemed to deepen as he fixated his eyes on Nicholas for a few seconds. "I can do stuff... but not as a caretaker." He carelessly moved to the door and opened it wide. "And this thing is not a means of transportation for your homes. You're both from Bunnyburrow, right?"  
As the other animals moved outside, Nicholas nudged the lower hand of Judy. "Why does Uncle look so sad?"  
"Mad is the right word." She sighed heavily. "I don't know. Sometimes, we just need our time alone."  
Gideon raised a paw. "See ya, then?"  
He was only answered by a grunt and a push of the door. "Suit yourselves."

The two elder animals traded awkward and worried looks, while Nicholas played with his recorder.  
"Her name is Judy Hopps and she's your mother."  
He gave a short honest laugh. "So that's how it works. Carrots is such a fun tool."  
Judy smiled at the cub's innocence. "Don't go hugging it on your sleep."  
"How do I play the previous message?" he inquired, missing her words out of curiosity.  
The bunny cop chuckled. "Let me help you with that. Do you know I also have one of those?"  
"Oh, really?" The cub brightened up as if meeting a new friend. "What does your Carrots say?"

Judy gave an eye over Gideon, who seemed to be struggling on conversing with Finnick from the other side of the closed van door. She took the scene with interest as she never saw Gideon as a father figure, admittedly with any fox she set her eyes upon.  
She sighed to relieve herself of a growing negative mood and entertained Little Nicholas, kneeling down and getting her own carrot recorder from a pocket.  
"Hand me yours, and I'll give you mine."  
"Okay!" He willingly handed away his recorder with high spirits, only for Judy to smirk mischievously.  
"I got your Carrots now. Too bad for you!"  
"Hey!" A line of conflicting emotions passed through the fox's face as he tried to grasp the situation.

Judy maintained her smile and said, "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."  
It was enough to have Nicholas remain reassured, as the bunny finally gave her recorder to the cub.  
"Is hustling a good thing?" Nick asked.  
"You have no idea." Judy clicked her tongue in good humor, as she recalled some particular moments with her police partner. "You'll definitely use it _as you grow up_."

Nicholas eyed his newly acquired recorder like it was a free pawpsicle and pushed its play button. "Carrots. Carrots. Fluffity fluff! Carrots. Carrots. Fluffity fluff!"  
Judy laughed pleasantly. "I still haven't changed my message. And oh, you can only get one. You must've accidentally deleted your previous recording with all your tweaks."  
For a short moment, the fox cub seemed to stare closely at the bunny's recorder with fascinated eyes... and then it was gone.  
He raised her gadget delightfully, as if it was his own. "Nick, I like it when you smirch! Eh, smirk!"  
She frowned, feeling like she already heard it somewhere. "What's this about Nick... your _uncle_?"  
"That's what my Carrots was saying, before Uncle changed it." He giggled, as if he was starting to get embarrassed acting so fond with the thing.  
"Ah!"

Judy gasped as she finally recognized the message.  
Two days ago, she had played a game with the original Nick for a day where they could record a specific message said by each other. She had the perfect opportunity to settle with the silly 'fluffity fluff'.  
The bunny recalled that yesterday was supposed to be their moment of revealing their recordings, which initially made her amused... but soon made her more anxious.  
Nick could have asked for a day off, but no way would he willingly miss a planned moment.

It was then that she became aware that Nicholas had gotten hold of both recorders and were playing them side by side.  
"Carrots. Carrots. Fluffity fluff!"  
"Her name is Judy-"  
Then with an attempt for imitation, he added, "I like it when you smirk!"  
He laughed pleasantly and told his acting mother, "There's so many Carrots!"  
Judy could not resist a grin with the affectionate display. "You're so unlike Nick..."  
She raised an amused eyebrow as she never noticed that he was on his Junior Ranger Scouts uniform and the seemingly mischievous glint in his eyes. "No, you're so much like Nick."  
"Like Uncle?"  
Judy beamed at him sweetly. "I'm sure there's more than one Nick in Zootopia."  
"And Carrots!" he exclaimed, as he playfully raised the two recorders he had collected.

"Uhh, J- Jud... Nich'las." Gideon appeared beside them with a weary look, yet he managed to offer a smile at the fox cub.  
"Dad! Ya done talking with Uncle?" Nicholas asked with enthusiasm.  
"Yeah. We'll be meeting again tomorrow." The larger red fox turned to Judy, with a lowered voice to keep their selves from the cub. "It's already late. As much as I would like to help, my 'rents will be so suspicious if I suddenly bring home a small kin. E- even yers, right? So maybe he could-"  
"Gideon, it's alright," the police officer assured him. "I stay in the apartment during weekdays. He's a clever one. I got enough space in my bed, and he'll _definitely_ love the plushies!"  
"I- 's that so?" He sighed. "I'll try to co'rdinate the busyness hours and we can even treat Nich'las together, while tryin' to find answers."  
"Got it, Dad." She raised an encouraging fist.  
He responded with a toothy grin. "This will take some growing used to."

Gideon leaned down to pat the fox cub on the head. "Don't be too naughty 'out yer Dad. Mom's gonna get _angrrrry_! I should probably get my own Carrots by tomorrow."  
"Silly." Judy chuckled, as the baker got up decisively and winked at her.  
"I'll be bringing special dessert too."  
"Take care, Gideon Gray."  
"Both of ya, too."

 _X_

Nicholas proved silent and compliant as Judy guided him carefully to her apartment, trying to avoid the eyes of any acquaintances.  
As they approached her room even with the time of the night, they soon realized her neighbors were still awake and noisy as usual.  
"Now, we just have to make sure Bucky and Pronk don't see us... of all animals, maybe except Clawhauser."  
The fox only nodded as if on affirmation. He looked ready to say something of cheerful interest, but decided against it.  
Judy was keen enough to notice and winked. "Tell me about it later."

"Hey, Judy! Is that you?"

Nicholas stiffened in place, while Judy fumbled a little with her keys.  
The place faced an abrupt silence as the other residents seemed to wait for a reply.  
The door to her room finally opened, and Judy gestured for Nick to get inside and to do what he wanted.  
"Yeah?"  
"You're not with _anyone_ , right?"  
"Still alone." Judy chuckled, while waving a reassuring hand for Nicholas.  
She then closed the door again and shook her keys in the doorknob nervously.

A large antelope got out the nearby room and eyed her suspiciously.  
"What's taking you so long with your keys?"  
The bunny shrugged. "Must be tired from the job hours."  
"Chasing weasels, eh?" He was then pulled back by his brother, who looked at Judy apologetically.  
"Judy! He's still mad you beat him by that Flush." Pronk, the more sociable of the two albeit barely, gave a small smirk. "You up for a few minutes?"  
Judy smiled as she feigned fulfillment upon opening the door again. "Who are you kidding? Minutes turn easily into hours. I have to get my energy through regular sleep."  
"Bah! That's what she says!" Bucky taunted from the inside. "We'll leave you at that!"  
The other antelope chuckled, as he closed the door. "He'll keep on begging for a rematch."

Judy made sure neither of the antelopes was going to show up again, leaving the door creaking open.  
She could make up the back of Nicholas on the bed, with what seemed to be a different arrangement for her bunny dolls.  
She took the reemergence of her neighbors' rowdiness as a cue for her to enter her room and attend to the fox.  
"Hey, Nicholas!" The bunny turned on the single light in the room and drawled playfully, "What are you doing in the dark?"  
"Ah!" The red fox jumped cheerfully and presented himself sideways with the dolls. "Our Mum's here!"  
The last for both sides had the recorders placed on them and Nicholas played them simultaneously. "Carrots. Carrots. - She's your mother."  
"How chipper of you!" Judy jumped on the bed, subconsciously deciding she would have to change her clothes later when the fox was asleep.

"So what were you trying to say a while ago?" Judy asked, as she got herself one doll.  
Nicholas embraced the rest of the bunnies and spoke excitedly, "Mum, that was like a Junior Ranger Scouts hide and seek game!"  
The bunny hummed in thought. "You guys had a meeting today?"  
"Uhh..." The fox paused as if there was a lapse in his trail of thought, then frowned. "I think it was postponed for tomorrow, but I'm excited to see new friends!"  
Judy pursed her lips uncomfortably. "I think I remember you telling me it was supposed to be… next week. You just got too excited, dummy!"  
"The uniform feels good indeed!" Nicholas waved his arms energetically.  
Judy only thought that she was not planning to let the fox experience a horrible moment.  
He could not exactly be Nick - or did another science project like a Night Howler serum, one that shrinks animals, get loose? - but for any being to face such prejudice for a young age... it was not going to happen.

"Mum, are we gonna sleep together?" Nicholas asked happily, to which Judy nodded to.  
"Of course. There's only one bed in here... and lots of bunny siblings!"  
"Aaahhh!" Nick crawled around the bed, while Judy showered him with dolls.  
"The night attacks and the wolves howl!" The bunny's shadow loomed over the bedsheet ominously with her hands raised. "Awoooooo!"  
"Mum's gonna catch us!" Nicholas stood up heroically and searched for an object in his pockets. "Uh, I'm missing something."  
"Are you looking for..." Judy tied a red handkerchief over her mouth. "This?!"  
"Nooo!" The fox knelt with a defeated expression. "The Rangers' Treasure!"

As if on cue, the next room started getting wilder and provided a slight shaking for the area.  
"With great power comes a great monster!" Judy growled the loudest sound she could.  
Nicholas yelped, with his tail curling defensively and his paws returning to his pockets.  
"We got a secret weapon..."  
Judy laughed devilishly, only to receive something circular on her face. "Blueberries! Nooo! It tastes so sweet!"  
The red fox continued firing with a seemingly unlimited supply while shouting "Smirk!" repeatedly like a war cry.

Judy shook her head and finally charged to him, pushing them together to the bed.  
"That's not how that word works!"  
"Aaahh! Blood! Blood! Blood!" His hands froze mid-air to hold a dramatic pose then he followed with a limp body, continuing the line. "And death!"  
"Come on you, it's time to sleep!" Judy offered some more tickles, much to enjoyment of Nicholas… followed by the soft comfort of her ears around the fox, who eventually slept soundly.

As Judy felt his gentle breaths against her skin, she surprisingly started feeling emotional and gave a much tighter hug.  
With all the signs and memories he basically reenacted or reacted to, she found relief in knowing that Nick was still around somewhere and somehow, inside the fox cub.  
"You're just gone for a day and I already miss you _so_ much!" She rubbed her slightly twitching nose on his head and heaved another deep breath.  
"You're so adorable, Nicholas Wilde."  
Soon, both animals had fallen asleep together with their crumpled uniforms.

Hours long after midnight, there were a few shuffled movements on the bed and the weak vibration of a carrot recorder. The gadget proceeded to speak and repeat the words of a message.

"Carrots. Carrots. Fluffity fluff! Carrots. Carrots. Fluff-"

There was a short static sound.  
Then there was the silent dawn.

\- O – O – O – O – O -


	4. Sound

YOUTHOPIA  
CH04: Sound

Nick goes missing for one day shift, only to show back up as Finnick's 10 year old nephew and claiming the parentage of two Bunnyburrow residents.

 **I do not own Zootopia.**

\- O – O – O – O – O -

Gideon grunted as he gingerly placed the small box of baked food on the floor. He hung his right paw over the door to knock then stopped as he saw the next room's door open, to show an angry-looking antelope... and a tall one at that.  
He was given a scowl, as the antelope's eyes shifted their focus from his face to the box on the floor. "Who are you?"  
"I'm Gideon Grey... You-" He had a short moment of thought about his current situation, and decided not to act as if he was familiar with Judy's neighbors. "Jus' doin' my delivery busyness, Sir!"  
"I don't see much _foxes_ around here..." The door was closed behind him as he raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in there?"  
The red fox figured it was safe enough to show him the contents of the box, and opened it slowly.  
As much as he wanted to elaborate on the various designs of the bread, he did not see much of an enthusiast in the antelope.

"Good grief." He just rolled his eyes and walked past the fox, his carried plastic bag hitting him roughly on the side. "You can just knock. She doesn't _bite._ "  
Gideon instinctively wanted to endorse his brand name, but was relieved to find no words to convey it to the unfriendly animal.  
A few seconds passed and he realized he was left staring at the door before him, which actually had small claw marks somewhere on its lower right corner.  
If Nick had really done it, it definitely looked to be of a worrying matter; but what Finnick told him yesterday made him feel more unsettled.  
 _"Wait until you hear Nick speak through_ that _fox. I'm not going to play the fool's part for him!''_  
He did not want to doubt the innocence of a small critter, much more a kin of his but yet again, Finnick was not a type of a liar. What sort of hint was that?

Laughter vibrated from inside the room, which confirmed the presence of the two figures he wanted to meet. He knocked decisively and spoke, "Hey, it's me!"  
He leaned on word safety, over the risk of being overheard and misinterpreted.  
It was Nicholas who opened the door and looked up with a bright smile. "Dad! Mum's got a _lot_ of nice music!" He was given one excited pull before the fox cub returned to the bed and inserted both plugs of Judy's earphones to his ears.  
The rabbit, who was on her meter maid uniform, stood up with a smirk and addressed the newcomer, "Do you think the actual Nick is a fan of Gazelle?"  
Gideon placed the box in the nearest desk, which was one of the few furniture in the area.  
"Sorry," Judy apologized. "The place isn't really meant for a large group."  
"Tha's okay." Gideon shrugged and settled himself on the space beside Nicholas. "But it would be funny to hear Nick singing Try Everything."  
"I'd definitely try to have a recording of that!" said Judy as she hopped to the other side of Nicholas.

While the young fox would hum recognizable lyrics or sway happily to an uplifting beat, Judy and Gideon would laugh and poke the little cub with affection.  
"How about we play a game using my songs?" Judy offered.  
Nicholas removed the earphones with an eager expression, while Gideon shrugged. "I'm not really good with games. Whattaya got 'ere?"  
"Well... since Little Nicholas likes listening to the songs..." Judy drawled playfully. "How would you like it if you saw your Mom and Dad singing those songs?"  
Nich' gasped delightfully. "Can i get to hear Dad singing the Pawkmon theme song?!"  
"Yes, you can!"  
At Gideon's growing refusal, the bunny chuckled confidently. " _But_ there will be rules. You, Nicholas, will get only one band or artist from each letter and we will take turns in singing some lines!"  
The larger red fox finally stopped stuttering as he found a proper reply, "I dunno many songs. I- I'm also not a good singer."  
"Cheer up, Dad!" Judy nudged him on the arm gently. "We're all in this together."

As Nicholas stood up before them in anticipation already scrolling through Judy's phone, the bunny told the cub, "You can have one earphone on and compare our voices! Just say the names and we'll start."  
Gideon chuckled nervously and said, "Yer Mum's such an energetic bunny."  
Nicholas giggled as he suddenly felt two pairs of eyes looking intently at him. "Letter A. Arhino Grande!"  
Judy cleared her throat with professionalism and spoke, "Grande! I shall be first, for sample purposes. And oh!" She raised a bare finger. "No recording!"  
Gideon laughed in relief. "Thank goodness!"

Both foxes waited expectantly as Judy mumbled some words to herself. _"I love the way you make my meals! I love it! I love it!"_  
Nicholas clapped cheerfully as Judy bowed, while Gideon blinked in surprise. "I thought we'll be singin' the whole songs here! We can jus' settle on one lines, eh?"  
"Well, if you're willing..." Judy smirked.  
"B is for Black Eyed Fish!" Nicholas showed them the music list.

Judy raised her eyebrow in interest. "They were pretty famous years ago. All the clubs would have their music on. Pretty sure you know a song or two, Dad?"  
"Come on!" Gideon chuckled. "I'm jus' not used to singin' much. Black Eyed Fish?"  
Nicholas nodded with his already pumped up energy.  
"I..." That was when he decided to let loose. _"I gotta peel it! Oooooh oooh!"_ To his embarrassment, his attempt for singing had a loud reception of claps.  
"That's the spirit!" Judy teased.

"I finally got to hear my parents sing!" Nicholas said proudly as he looked back at the phone. "Next is Catty Perry!"  
"Oooh! I like her!" Judy stated as she perked up. "I can't wait to hear a new album!"  
"I'm not sure I know her," Gideon admitted.  
"You'll recognize this song..." After one deep breath, she started singing once more. _"Baby you got pie and fork! Come and show 'em how it's done! Make 'em go oh! Oh-"_  
As even Gideon started bobbing his head to the tune, Judy chuckled. "I told you so."

"The next is David Cheetah!" Nicholas declared.  
Gideon chortled. "This the guy who I thought had a girl's voice. Turns out he's jus' the DJ."  
Judy gave a merry gasp. "I was in the exact same situation too when I first heard about him!"  
"Glad to know I wasn't the only one."  
As the initial nervousness faded away almost entirely, Gideon immediately followed with a song. _"I'm lookin' good, nothin' to lose. Fire away, fire away!"_  
"Dad, is that the song with the singer See Ya?" Nick asked, to which both elders confirmed.  
Judy brushed her partner jokingly. "And look who's telling us he wouldn't sing!"  
"I jus' said I'm not good with 'em songs!"

Nicholas hummed as he stared at the phone. "There's only _Eelvis_ for letter E."  
Judy immediately started laughing at the mention of the name. "Eelvis! They got the most viral song in Zootopia!"  
Gideon's eyes widened upon recognition. "So that's what the group's name is! I didn't know."  
"Pretty much everyone only knows one song by Eelvis." Judy shrugged. "But they got more than one!"

"What does viral mean?" The fox cub asked.  
"Somethin' that sticks to ya, just like a _tickle_!" supplied Gideon as he aimed a finger on one of the cub's sensitive areas. "Dad, no!"  
"So, who's next?" Judy asked.  
"It's-"  
"Wait, ya haven't sung for Eelvis yet!" Gideon interrupted with a toothy grin. "Why so excited?"  
"Oops. Well, I can't really sing the chorus... _How does a fox neigh?"_  
Gideon laughed, turning to his smaller kin. "Ya'll _def'nitely_ have fun lis'nin' to this repeatedly. Keep it on the random playlist or something.

Judy pushed him gently. "Don't influence him with the viral stuff. So, who's next?"  
"It's Flo Rideer," Nicholas answered dutifully, although still giggling a little from Gideon's attempts for tickling.  
The larger red fox grunted in amusement at the mention of the name. "I didn't take you for an animal to listen to this type of music."  
"Hey, I'm a music enthusiast!" Judy said smugly. "Though I'm trying to find people outside the mainstream area."  
"Ehhh... pretty unsafe for Nich'las' ears."  
Judy smiled knowingly. "Depends on the song."

Gideon easily settled for one and sang. _"Can you blow my weasel baby, weasel baby, let me kno-"_  
"Okay, stop. Flo Rideer is a bad idea," Judy interrupted.  
"I told ya I dun' know much," Gideon defended. "And ya cuttin' in makes it more awkward."  
Judy rolled her eyes. "You should've just done the whistle part."  
It was just then that they saw Nicholas was moving his head up and down, likely with the most recently chosen song.  
"It's not really that bad," Gideon said. "The whistle jus' sticks to ya."  
The bunny sighed. "It's the only reason I have the song in my phone. Next song!"

Nicholas grumbled as he forcefully stopped the playing song. "I liked that song." He seemed to follow it with a few blows from his mouth.  
"Oh, great. Nick is _that_ kinda listener," Gideon said.  
Judy brushed it off with a laugh. "Silly! I got more songs that can easily beat it."  
"Geese Harmony?" Nicholas frowned.  
"Yeah. That's their name," the bunny confirmed. "They're one of the newer female groups in the industry. _But you gotta use the fork fork fork fork fork fork fork!_ I think I missed one fork."  
"Is it actually meant to be suggestive?" Gideon comically widened his eyes.  
"I know, right?"  
"Ya done, Mum?" Nicholas hummed as he scrolled lower in the list. "I pick this Howeasel."

" _Howea_!" Gideon brightened up. "It's one of my ol' friend's fav'rite! But I dun' remember a song..."  
Judy smiled encouragingly and started humming. "You recognize it?"  
"Oh, tha's very helpful!"  
Judy prodded him encouragingly. "Go on."  
 _"Even the best mall close sometimes! Even the cars refuse the fine."_  
"Your voice fits the song, Dad!" Nicholas stated to which Judy nodded.

"Next is Iggy Azalion!"  
"She's Fangmeyer's guilty pleasure," Judy informed jokily. _"I saw pansies! Oooh oooh oooh oooh!"_  
The larger red fox guffawed in place. "Everybody hated that song!"  
"But it was one of those songs that stayed for _so long_ in the radio!"

"Mum, there's two Justins in here," Nicholas read from the list. "Beaver and Timbearlake."  
Judy raised a hand up high. "Justin Beaver's on a streak of good songs."  
Gideon found himself nodding in agreement. " _Is it too late now to say 'Pause it'? Cause I'm missing more than the story!"_  
"Hey, I thought Nicholas is the one who'll do the picking," Judy admonished.  
Gideon chuckled. "Yer Dad gets excited at times."

"It's still music for the ears," Nicholas offered as a light pun. "K is for Kanine West!"  
"That's Little Rodentia's favorite rapper!" Gideon mentioned. "He's got like a hidden agenda in mind." _"All of the mice! All of the mice!"_ Judy proceeded to do a terrible impression of the trumpet ensemble in the song.  
The red fox laughed pleasantly. "Exactly!"

"Mum, can we have a soundtrack, too?" Nicholas asked. "You got the Lion Queen here."  
"One of my all-time favorite movies!" Judy said merrily.  
 _"Caaan you feel the rum toniiight? We got some sweetened cheese!"_ Gideon rolled out lightly. "Like that even makes any sense."  
"But the movie's one of the best until today!" Judy said proudly.

"Next is Manta del Ray!"  
"Animals always misspell the Ray part," Judy ranted. "Not if you're an actual fan."  
"I'm not," Gideon confessed. "But she's usually compared in the other jen- jun... genrees, right?"  
" _Genre._ You know any song of hers?"  
The pastry chef shook his head.  
 _"I got that collar tie, collar tie madness oh! Oh oh oh oooh."_  
"Mum, you got the lyrics wrong!" Nicholas reproached. "It's colored tie!"  
"'S that so? And I was getting into it!"  
Judy pushed him humorously. "Now, you're acting like _my_ Dad, Gideon!"

"Neko Minaj!" Nicholas frowned. "I think I've heard Neko somewhere..."  
"Doesn't neko mean cat in Japanese?" Judy said, which Gideon confirmed.  
"She's the one who got the wool group running. _War sheep are meant to fly!"  
_ Judy gasped in recognition. "So that's what Assistant Mayor Bellwether was humming that one time… when she was still in that position."

"Ooh! Oooh!" Nicholas jumped excitedly in position. "How about this Owl Sea Tea? "  
"They're like an animal act'vist group with all their song names," Judy said with genuine laughter. _"Oh darling I was you were deer!_ "  
"They're yer best bet for songs with the influence of nature!"  
"And Tundratown was pleased with the mention of a _vanilla twilight_ ," Judy supplied delightfully.

"Next in line is Passengerbil!"  
Gideon gasped enjoyably. " He created the time when the male side of every species got more confident."  
"And the time when almost everyone got into singing love songs! " Judy added pleasingly. "Not me though! I was... busy being your Mom!"  
"Mum, you're making me embarrassed!" Nicholas said.  
"Not with yer Dad here!" Judy lightly pulled Gideon closer, who began singing. _"Only know you love fur when you let her go!"_

"Quailey Williams is next!"  
"Does it have to be a sep'rate feature or songs with the band?" Judy queried.  
Gideon rolled his eyes. "Mum, sing what you want."  
 _"You can't eat two kernels anymore? You got to eat out more! Mooore!"  
_ Gideon gasped in actual disbelief. "Out of all their good songs, you picked that?"  
"Hey, it's the first song that crossed my mind!"

"Dad, it's Ratsal Flatts' turn!"  
"Another Little Rodentia sensation," Gideon said in amusement.  
"I only have their old songs," Judy admitted. "I'm not updated with the group."  
The acting father began singing readily. _"That should be free, holding your bag! That should be freeee, buying you feasts!"_

"Next is this Sealena Gomez!"  
"She's the source of the funniest rabbit song parodies!" Gideon stated.  
Judy laughed. _"I have fourteen carrots! I have fourteen carrots!"  
_ "Carrots as in _the_ Carrots?" Nicholas asked.  
"Oh, silly." Judy shook her head.  
"Your Mum meant the carrot veggies."

"Oh, how about Twenty One Pythons, Dad?"  
Gideon turned to the bunny inquisitively. "They only got famous after one of their songs got featured in a movie, right?"  
"Yeah, that's right," Judy grumbled. "And there I was, a fan since their first single."  
 _"_ Really? I might check them out. _All my friends are vegans, take it slow!"_ Gideon sang then dropped an imaginary mic.

"Mum, there's only Utter for U."  
"I thought he's already retired," Gideon admitted.  
"He's probably going to be back with a new album," Judy said rather proudly. "He's always been a strong contender."  
"Not with any songs I could remember."  
"Hey! _Baby, tonight! The jay's gonna fall with doves again!"_

"This one's got a weird name. Vulture?"  
"He's that rapper who sings about the Future yet you can't understand!" Judy chuckled.  
"And still gets featured by diff'rent famous an'mals!" Gideon added lightly.  
 _"You give wheat to me everyday! Everyday! Everyday!"_

"Oh, Mum! This one's a funny name! Whaley Steinfood!"  
Gideon chuckled. "One of her vids got a controversial message. She's dancin' with that _SelfService_ shirt!"  
Judy rolled her eyes in laughter. "Everyone just loved to make a silly assumption out of an innocent message."  
"That vid though…"  
"Dad, please!" Judy tuned him out with an impression of a silly dance. _"Every hair aligned, I love me!"  
_ "I give it a pass." Gideon gave a toothy grin.

"X-Ray Jepsen?" Nick drawled.  
"She's the only one I know who starts with an X," Judy confessed cheerfully. "I'm lucky enough to get an artist for every letter!  
"And I only know one song from her!" Gideon shook his head humorously, then heaved a deep breath to sing, _"Hey, i just fed you and this is grazing! But here's my farmer, he's so amazing!"  
_ Judy laughed. "Feeding activists heavily supported the song in a _totally_ different way."

"This one's got a silly name too! Yum Smith!"  
Gideon hummed in interest. "He's got that voice everyone is trying to imitate."  
"That some say would be _yummy_ in..." Judy stopped, chuckling as she gave an eye at the fox cub.  
 _"You saaaay I'm crazy, but you don't stink. I know what you've done!"  
_ "That's as poor a song choice as you claimed I did for Quailey!" Judy pointed out.  
"Hey!"

"Final song comes from Zegg!" Nicholas waved the phone gleefully. "That's 24 different songs!"  
Judy grinned. "How appropriate! Dad, go sing the one where he collaborated with Quailey Williams."  
"Ya got it, Mom! And for our finisher..." Gideon cleared his throat. _"Are you gonna bake the pie? Are you gonna bake the pie?!"_

When the final lyric was laid out, everyone laughed out loud with Nicholas charging straight for his acting parents.  
Everyone scrambled around the bed, with Gideon barely fitting in the available space.  
"Oh, Gideon. You're so unfair!" Judy wriggled her hands to give him a pinch. "You hurried up all your songs!"  
The larger fox chuckled. "I told ya I'm not great at singing!"  
"Mum's definitely better at singing!" Nicholas claimed, muffled by some of the sheets.  
"Ey, it's my voice ya inherited, Nich'las!" Gideon told him proudly.  
"You got _everything_ foxy in you!" Judy smiled sweetly as she squeezed the cub's pair of cheeks.  
"Muuuum, stop it!"

"Dun' get too rowdy now!" Gideon cautioned. "Yer feet might hit the pies Dad got for us!"  
"Really?!" Nicholas' ears perked up as he looked around. "I thought that wasn't meant for us."  
"I nearly forgot!" Judy said pleasantly, and then instinctively checked a nearby clock. "Oh my gosh, my break's almost over! I have to check in with the Chief by the next hour."  
"But Fin... his uncle might come here soon," Gideon worried out loud. "And the room key. Plus, what if yer neighbors check in on us?"  
"Uncle's gonna be here?!"

"Nick, I- I'll be back quick." Judy fumbled with her keys and removed one from the set. "I don't have much choice, Gid. Tell his uncle to stay until I get back here. We need some-"  
"My name's Nicholas, Mum!"  
Judy sighed with a smile. "Goodbye, dumb fox. I'll be seeing you."  
She frowned as she faced Gideon. "Wait, how about you? I thought you got business hours."  
Gideon reassured her with a shrug. "I let yer Dad drive the van and take the busyness for the aft'; cos yer family's pickup was sent to the Rainforest for some repairs and he had to get some transpo'."  
"Wait, you came here by train?"  
Gideon shrugged.  
"Oh, okay… I- I'll be going!"

"Wait, yer forgettin' yer Carrots." Gideon turned to the scattered bunny dolls across the room and got one carrot-shaped gadget, playing it to check. "Carrots. Carrots. Fluffity fluff!"  
"This is yers."  
Judy was about to get the recorder when she seemed to look around it and frowned. "Wait, that isn't mine."  
"But it's got yer..."  
Judy searched for the other Carrots, and then turned it around upon contact. "See? Nicholas and I put some stickers to identify our own recorders. He's got a blueberry. I got a carrot... on my Carrots."

Gideon gently took the recorder from Judy's grasp, and then played the two devices together.  
Albeit not mixing nicely, both recorders definitely repeated only one message for all ears in the room to hear.  
"When did you change my message, Mum?" Nicholas asked as he got the gadget with the blueberry sticker back from Gideon. "Recording of a recording!"  
"I..." Judy stammered as she traded confused looks with Gideon. "Finnick might have an idea...?"  
The red fox's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "Tha's right!"  
Judy looked like she wanted to pursue with the inquiry, but looked helplessly at the time in her phone. "Stay put."  
They gave each other an embrace, solely for the display of affection for Nicholas.  
Judy got her own recorder from Gideon then got out the room.

"Mum's gone!" said Nicholas with a tinge of sadness. "Dad, can I get some ice cream?"  
"We still in that Junior Ranger Scout hide n' seek," Gideon told him. "Who knows? Maybe yer uncle will bring somethin'!"  
"Maybe we can surprise Mum with a new message for my Carrots!" Nicholas eyed his gadget sweetly, almost as if it was a partner in crime.  
"Let me see," the acting father requested politely.  
"What are you going to do it with?" the younger fox asked as he handed it over.

Without answering, Gideon only pushed the play button of the cub's Carrots and listened intently. "It's def'nitely the same."  
"Isn't that cool?!" Nicholas said with enthusiasm. "Mum's partner must have come by when I was still asleep."  
The pastry chef frowned. "Ya mean ya never checked in the mornin'? What did ya do when ya're alone 'ere?"  
"Mum told me to stay here and only go out to the left most corner of the hallway for the toilet," Nicholas answered dutifully but cheerfully. "So I played with the funnies and set ourselves for a _grand_ roleplay!"

"Funnies?"  
"That's what I decided to call them!" Nicholas presented his statement through raising some of the dolls using his paws. "Foxes and bunnies form funnies!"  
Gideon chuckled in amusement. It was not like the idea never crossed his mind, what with two of his friends of the same species' close involvement with each other.  
Still, it did not answer the current mystery of the recording.  
That was when a soft knock on the door was heard, followed by a grumpy grumble of a familiar voice.  
"Uh, if any of you are in..."

"Uncle!" Gideon watched as his younger kin jumped off the bed to open the door and welcome the fennec, who was carrying an elephant suit. To both their surprises, Finnick also had a small pack of blueberries in hand.  
"Ooh, you're the best uncle ever!" Nicholas exclaimed, before pointing a finger at his body. "What's that you're carrying?"  
"I told you about the suit, right? We'll do it when your Mom's here."  
The slight grunt of the fennec as Nicholas took the blueberries and upon closing the door on his back made Gideon think he actually liked getting praised by the cub, which made him hum in interest.  
"I thought you gave up already."  
"I can't just refuse the bunny's plea," Finnick stated, as if it should have been obvious, and placed the suit on the tidiest part of the bedroom's floor. "The other Nick would definitely not like it."  
"Speaking of..."

The chef gave a glance at the distracted fox cub, who was teasing the bunny dolls with his set of blueberries. He got the unattended carrot recorder and swayed Finnick's attention to it.  
"It's got the same message as Judy's Carrots. I thought about what you said..."  
"Recording of a recording," the fennec spoke in skepticism. "Any of them could have tried-"  
Gideon rather expected the reaction from the grumpy fox. "Jus' listen to it then."

"Carros. Carrots. Fluffity fluff!"

Nicholas gave them a brief eye contact before turning back to his game innocently.  
Finnick's frown deepened as his eyebrows furrowed. "I knew something was up. It's likely the fool's fighting whatever substance he's got on him. Well at this rate, he'll be back in no time."  
"So he'll just grow tall again or something?" Gideon asked, feeling a little dumb upon putting out the thought.  
"What else? I wouldn't like to think of possible adverse effects so as not to worry his bunny. Everyone is happy for now." Finnick shrugged as he placed his paws on the pastry box. "Is this for us?"  
"Yeah. Though I dun' know yer pref'rence n' all," Gideon admitted with a scratch on the back of his head. "Jus' keep the one with blueberry for Nich'las. It's the one on the upper left."

The white fox grunted as he considered the nine doughnuts neatly assorted inside, before finally getting one covered with chocolate and sprinkles. "I thought you're restricted to pies."  
"I've been tryin' out stuff to expand the busyness. Gotta keep the cust'mers interested," Gideon chattered lightly. "I'm even considerin' changin' the brand logo. But Judy's Dad doesn't feel like makin' it a priority."  
As the smell of the pastry wafted through the area, Nicholas' ears perked up in attention and he instantly dropped the funnies to check out the open box.

"I want this one!" The fox cub pointed at the donut with a carrot mark.  
Gideon hurriedly spoke to the cub, "Are ya sure ya dun' want the blueberry one?"  
Nicholas was already about to eat the pastry when he hesitated upon hearing the words.  
"You can just give that to your Mom," Finnick said.  
"But she doesn't like everything to be carrots," Nicholas countered with a defiant look, which abruptly faded to delight. "Oh, Uncle's right. Which one's the blueberry?"

Gideon was wordless for a few seconds as Nicholas returned the carrot donut whole inside the box. Finnick did not show any apparent disturbance as he just informed the cub of the desired donut's location. "Upper left."  
"Thanks, Dad!"  
"I was the one who told you which one's which…" Finnick grumbled.  
The smaller red fox rushed to the bed as if planning to include his newly acquired donut with his imaginative story with his toy friends.  
"N- no prob'em, son. Uhh, dun let the crumbs fall on the bed."

Finnick gave the pastry chef a smirk. "Well, we just have to get used with this Nick, I guess."  
Gideon hummed worriedly. "Judy will be so confused."  
"Nah. She'll only notice how _cute_ that fox is. For once, it's not her who'll be the cute one in the group." The fennec got a bite off his second doughnut.  
He was regarded with interest by the baker. "Never thought I'd hear you say _cute._ "  
"I hate the word."  
\- O – O – O – O – O -


	5. Curiosity

YOUTHOPIA  
CH05: Curiosity

Nick goes missing for one day shift, only to show back up as Finnick's 10 year old nephew and claiming the parentage of two Bunnyburrow residents.

 **I do not own Zootopia.**

\- O – O – O – O – O -

"Finnick doesn't have an idea but he told me we should just enjoy little Nick's presence," Gideon reported dutifully, looking alright upon laying out the fennec's early departure. "I don't really have much qualms about it. I mean, look at our furry." He gave a lopsided grin.  
Judy spared him a chuckle. "Feels like an actual parent talk when the children's not looking."  
"Ain't that a striking semblance?" Gideon said in light reception of the joke.

"Mum! Dad and I got something for you!" Nicholas jumped from the bed, looking excited.  
"The pies?" Judy asked innocently as she gave him a sweet expression.  
"Carrots!" The fox cub waved his personal device. "Listen to it!"  
The bunny took the recorder and spun it carefully to touch the play button.

"We love you, Mum!" The voices of the two foxes roughly mixed in for the heartwarming greeting, followed by the giggle of Nicholas and a quick additional message. "-by the funnies!"  
Every animal in the room laughed jovially and huddled themselves on the bed space.  
"What's the funnies supposed to be?" Judy asked humorously.  
"Foxes and bunnies!"  
The police officer flushed in a little embarrassment as she stroked his head.  
"You're such a _dumb_ fox."  
"And you're a _sly_ bunny, Mum!" Judy looked at him fondly, while Gideon absently wondered whether his acting partner was remembering stuff from her time with the actual Nick Wilde.

"Mum, you haven't tasted Dad's _pastry_ yet!" Nicholas said as he reached for what was left in his blueberry pack which Judy just noticed by then, giving it an incredulous expression.  
"Your uncle got you that?"  
Gideon chuckled. "I had the same look. _Uncle's_ really close with li'l Nich'las."  
The temporary mother hummed in interest as she stood up to inspect the doughnut box. "I'm guessing Finnick ate so much."  
"Yeah. I still haven't eaten," Gideon said as he followed Judy.  
Nicholas dug his face through their waists to complete the family presence looming over the available pastry.

"Most of 'em got choc'lates. This one got it dark," Gideon stated discreetly as he pointed using a finger. "This one got soft milk cream, frozen. Icing or sparkles for this one."  
"You mean sprinkles," Judy amended in humor.  
"Oh, ya got that right. His uncle ate three but there are still copies for their tastes. Nich'las had the special blueberry one."  
"It was the only one colored black!" Nicholas mentioned pleasingly.  
"The blueberry mix was actually tricky," Gideon admitted. "I thought the donut's gonna melt away with the taste when I was makin' it."  
"Dad, can I reserve that one?" Nicholas asked as he tried to raise his paws, slightly hitting Judy's waist which caused an object to go _pop_.

"What was that?" Gideon wondered out loud as their heads turned to find the source.  
Judy chuckled. "It's just the fox repellant. Son, what were you pointing at?" "This one."  
Gideon regarded the forbidding object with a wary look. "I thought yer partner dislike's that repellant. And we're also foxes."  
"Both of you had a similar look. It's also handy for perfumes though." Judy casually got the material and pressed it to her uniform. "Gives me a factor of intimidation to larger suspects. Gives me a personal service. Win-win situation."  
"Sometimes, yer ingenuity jus' surprises me," Gideon acknowledged. "Ya really earned that _sly bunny_ name, eh?"  
"Silly." Judy bit on a chosen donut, humming in delight at its bread's texture. "This is good."

"Want to help me with a new brand logo?" Gideon lightened up as he addressed the matter he did not have the chance to pursue with Finnick as they seated themselves back on the bed. "A happy pie can only tell much."  
"Oh, so that means we'll have to repaint the van?" Judy asked eagerly. "Then we can bring Nicholas tonight and he can even meet my relatives!"  
The fox cub jumped in excitement. "I'll get to meet Mum's relatives?!"  
Gideon gave him a worried glance. "But yer Dad..."  
"Oh, they'll be accepting of our son." Judy blinked twice as she realized the problem. She regarded the cub with concern. "I can see that… but we can't just cross that off the list. Do you know any vixens, Gideon?"  
The chef seemed to blush in embarrassment. "N- not really."

Judy crossed her arms in consideration. "Nicholas can call you Dad, but he definitely can't call me his Mom. It'll cause an uproar, and there are _so_ many animals in Bunnyburrow."  
"What if-"  
"It's only for a day, right?" the fox cub spoke up. "I can do it! I know Mum's gonna be with me the whole time anyway."  
The two elder animals traded tender looks before the bunny turned back to her son.  
"Aww, that's so sweet of you!" Judy gave him a slight squeeze on an arm.  
"So, 's all set now?" Gideon asked with a smile. "'Bout to be night. But we can still catch up for dinner."

 _X_

The seemingly limitless miles of travel to Bunnyburrow through train left Gideon sleeping on Judy's shoulder, likely tired out by taking care of their little fox.  
Initially, he had been hesitant to act it out but Judy decided to offer herself as physical support. He could not do much against her good intentions and he was easily convinced.  
Nicholas, however, still had more energy to spare as if he was enlivened by his intake of bread and blueberries.  
Judy was fortunate enough to have lots of stories to tell, which kept the fox cub out of boredom.

"So _Nicky,_ " Judy drawled, still feeling clumsy with the name she had settled with to use to stand for the actual Wilde. "Nicky and I were running for running for our lives with Manchas growling at us like _grrrrr_!"  
With her free arm, she made a menacing stance to imitate a claw. Nicholas seemed breathless in anticipation, which Judy found entertaining as if they both had something to watch the other's face for.  
"I called for Clawhauser and asked for immediate back-up, everything while Manchas almost caught up to us. That was until... we got into a dead end."  
"But both of you are still alive, right?" the cub muttered innocently.  
"That's right! But the story doesn't jump there..."

Judy continued retelling most of her early days as a cop, which actually felt like the peak of her life. There was something about the fervor of the challenge of the Night Howler case that enlivened her spirits even just through her memories. She could not tell what it specifically was, but she found strange relief in holding on to such passion. Plus, majority of those events had the dumb fox beside her. It felt... exhilarating yet again.  
Something about her Nick Wilde...

 _Carrots._  
"Mum, are you getting sleepy?" His question roused her from her lulling thoughts.  
Judy chuckled, almost thinking she heard the Wilde's matured voice. "Maybe you're right."  
Nicholas smiled sweetly in acknowledgment, then snuggled himself on the bunny's lap. "Let's sleep together again." He raised his head with a frown. "The train won't go past Bunny Burrow right?"  
Judy raised an eyebrow at his blamelessness. "I'm sure your Dad will wake up in time."

Nicholas moved to stretch his body and arms, and then got his carrot recorder from his pocket.  
"We love you, Mum! -by the funnies!"  
"Oh, silly." Judy was about to give him another pat when she realized the fox cub had inched his face so close to hers. The bunny only noticed his outwardly thoughtful expression, before she received a kiss on her cheek.  
"Good night, Mum!"  
Judy fumbled for words as she hoped her sweet smile was a pass for the abrupt silence. "You dumb fox."  
She was spared a weak chuckle and soon, even Nicholas had fallen asleep.

Having two foxes around her made her feel self-conscious and comforted at the same time. She was fortunate enough to have few animals walking around their small family during the travel, most of them only with the reason of going to the toilet. The worst it could get was if anyone familiar saw her with the foxes.  
She decided not to worry too much, and allowed the twilight scenery to pass by as the train zoomed across the area. The bunny stared blankly either at the mirror or her pretend family for a few minutes.  
A few minutes turned into almost an hour.  
Surprisingly, drowsiness never came. Only lots of smiles and sighs did; smiles for the sweet feeling of a family connection, sighs for the thoughts of the original Nick Wilde.  
She could not help it. He was her partner, a close friend... a dumb fox she came to be fond of.  
She found it funny just how she came to have relationships with different foxes, with the recent addition of an adorable fox cub.

Judy was having a strange sense of calm just dwelling on her thoughts, when she saw the population sign of Bunny Burrow and its designated mark. "Guys, we're here."  
Both foxes yawned at the same time in an affectionate display of likeness.  
Judy laughed pleasantly. "Last one off the train gets tickled!" They quickly got outside with the tickles being shared to each of them anyway.

They soon got themselves in one of the bigger sections of the interconnected bunny holes, where even a taller creature like Gideon would feel welcomed and unhindered.  
The dining table in its center already had served food and, to Judy's interest, the right number of plates.  
There was no any other rabbit in sight except for Judy's parents but a steady commotion of footsteps and low rumbles could be easily heard.  
The police officer expected as much buzz, while Nicholas looked around curiously as if bent on to catch a sneaking bunny ear or two.

"So you see..." Stu Hopps began uneasily. "Gideon kinda informed us ahead and we did our best to try and accommodate little Nicholas."  
Bonnie Hopps nodded eagerly as if to provide a light contrast for the father's nervousness. "That's one more adorable fox for our family!"  
Judy tried not to focus on the negative aura, engaging on the plans she and Gideon had actually set for the cub. "So, can we explore the burrows first thing in the morning?"  
The two parents traded looks of their own, which Gideon noted with discomfort. "I- I know not all of yer fam's as open as Judy 'ere, two foxes n' all. D- dun' worry. I'd actually be up already by dawn. Busyness can't run by itself."  
Nicholas frowned as he turned his attention back to the table. "Dad won't be here tomorrow?"

Much to everyone's astonishment, the fox cub's voice had undeniably shifted to that of a much more mature voice... a _way too_ familiar one.  
"Why is everyone quiet?" Nicholas asked in puzzlement, and then gasped himself as he caught wind of what just happened. "What-"  
"P- puberty!" Judy stammered out loud.  
"I- she- Judy's right," Gideon affirmed.  
The two elder rabbits blinked in confusion, while Nicholas started coughing to himself. "I- I'm fine."

His voice had reverted back to being child-like as if nothing strange had happened.  
With Judy's parents seeming nowhere near ready to speak back up, Gideon took the initiative to start the intake of food.  
"I- I'm sure we're all jus' tired n' 'earing things." He gave one quick glance of worry over Judy's direction before lowering his head to face the plate of Nicholas and help the cub with his food serving.  
"G- Gid's right," Stu eagerly took the statement. "It was a busy day in the farm again after all."

Nicholas, however, seemed to be having an inner confusion as his face formed an uncharacteristic scowl. "Dad..."  
Gideon hummed in concern. "Hmm?"  
"Eh..." The scowl visibly turned to a muddled protrusion of the lips then blinked back to a frown.  
"Did Nicholas get something in his throat?" Bonnie motioned worriedly as she tried to get closer.  
"Bon, he hasn't even eaten yet," Stu mentioned carefully.  
Judy could only focus on the cub as he seemed to be trying to do a specific task.  
"I- is it the donuts?" Gideon asked uncertainly.  
"N-"

As the fox cub tried to speak more words, his frown grew as Judy's worries did. "Uh, my voice isn't changing anymore."

\- O – O – O – O – O -


End file.
